


The Wicked Games People Play

by assassinlikearno



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Eden's Gate, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24918952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/assassinlikearno/pseuds/assassinlikearno
Summary: Anastasia's story.
Relationships: John Seed & Original Female Character(s), John Seed/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Maybe You're The Same As Me

**Author's Note:**

> EEE English is not my strong point I am sorry :,)  
> My tumblr is @jacobseeds-mainhoe, send me feedback!

"Happy Birthday Anastasia!" Joyful cheers rang through the room as the young redhead giggled and blew out her candles on her birthday cupcake. She had just turned ten, barely knowing the world. Her siblings smiled at her and proceeded to watch Anastasia's twin brother blow out the candles on his cupcake. "Open your present!" The eldest sister Lucy grinned. Anastasia laughed again and skipped over to the dusty fireplace to pick up a little parcel, wrapped in sparkly pink paper. The present was given a gentle shake before the wrapping paper was torn off to reveal a child's toy nursing kit. Anastasia had a passion for nursing, she had always loved it. A delighted gasp was emitted from the small girl and she jumped up and down. "Thank you mama! I love it!" She cried in her sweet, innocent voice. She knew it wasn't much but that didn't upset her. Even if she was a child, she knew money was an issue for her family. I mean, there are seven mouths to feed in the household. Many times she had stumbled down the stairs, half asleep, to find her mother crying about this months taxes. In addition to that, the street that they lived on wasn't exactly the most pleasant. It was rife with crime, drugs and alcohol. Prostitutes could be seen wandering the streets at night, looking for business. Anastasia had often wondered what they were doing out so late, she even questioned it, but her mother soon shut her down. 

Ten years down the line...

"Nurse Constantin! Hurry up! You can't keep oversleeping like this!" The senior nurse scolded. A groggy Anastasia bolted upright, eyes drooping and hair messy. "Mmm, I'm sorry Nurse Flores, I'm up.." She grumbled, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and yawning. Another day studying the human body. Great. _"Sometimes I wonder what possessed me into studying nursing,"_ Anastasia thought to herself, before getting up and walking into the small bathroom. Rubbing her eyes, she stared into the mirror and smiled to herself. Before she could do anything else, there was a bang on the door. "I said, hurry up!" Anastasia chuckled and started to brush her teeth. 

Eventually, she was dressed and ready, with her hair neatly styled into a braided bun. Practical **and** stylish. Anastasia prided herself on her appearance. Call her vain but she truly believed it was the only thing she had going for her. Her nurse's uniform was always pristine, her nails always perfectly manicured, her hair always shiny and soft. In the evenings, she would give the girls in her dormitory manicures too, she felt as if everybody should feel beautiful. Anastasia grabbed her books and headed down the long winding hallways of Bucharest School of Health and Nursing. 

"Okay girls, today we'll be learning about the wonders of childbirth!" the teacher, who was way too enthusiastic, beamed. Anastasia grunted. This was the one thing she hated. She had never done well with children, and she wasn't too keen on childbirth either. "Cheer up Stasy, it could be worse," the girl beside her giggled. Anastasia smiled slightly and nodded. "I suppose you're right Lillith, it could be worse," she replied. 

The rest of the day was boring, which was standard to be fair. Eventually, the evening drew in and the rest of the girls decided they were going to go out. Anastasia, however, didn't get a second thought. Her classmates often overlooked her, and she was used to it by now. It just meant that she would have the dormitory to herself tonight. When she got back, she slipped on her dusty pink silk nightgown and got into bed. Eerie silence washed over the room as she sat and stared into space. Without even noticing, tears started to gently roll down her cheeks and softly dripped onto the bed sheets. Anastasia took a swift deep breath before swiping the tears away, which later appeared to be futile. Those tears seemed to carry on flowing, and before she knew it she was quietly sobbing to herself. Stealthy sniffs snuck between her choked out sobs, and she had never felt more vulnerable. "Happy birthday Anastasia..." She mumbled to herself as she lied her head on her pillow. Her eyes wandered to the window, and stayed there until her small sob-filled shakes had rocked her to sleep. 


	2. No Time For Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Death is mentioned in this chapter! Please don't read if this may upset you <3

Murmuring voices filled out the grand hall as families filed in and took their seats. Anastasia was seated right at the front of the hall, in front of the looming stage. On the stage, there was a podium where the head nurse stood. Behind her, all of the other nurses were sitting in a neat row, looking clean and tidy. "Hello everybody, and welcome to the graduation of the class of 2011! After today, all of these talented and wonderful students will become real nurses!” The head nurse exclaimed to the people sitting in front of her. The students and the families both clapped and cheered. “So, let’s get started!”

“Anastasia Constantin!” Her name rang out through the room. The people surrounding her smiled and clapped as she quickly took herself up to the podium, head bowed. As the nurse handed her the certificate, Anastasia nodded and smiled. She took the nurse’s hand in her own and shook it firmly, before making her way off of the stage back to her seat. “Good job Stasia!” The girl sat next to her whispered, making her smile. That evening was filled with drunk, celebratory giggles. 

“Hey! Snap out of it! You’re on the job, don’t daydream!” The Lieutenant hollered into Anastasia’s blank face, bringing her back to the present. “Okay, okay, I’m here, calm down!” She replied sharply, before hopping off of the table and straightening out her uniform. The field hospital was getting more and more patients, and half of them hadn’t been taken to the closest permanent hospital yet. Anastasia started to sweep round to her patients, checking on each of them and tending to their needs. Before she could treat her final patient, there was a panic at the front of the tent. “Anastasia! Get over here! Fast!”

As soon as she heard her name, she dashed over to the bed. Pushing through the swarming nurses, she looked down onto the bed and gasped. Lying on the stretcher was her twin brother, gasping for breath and clutching a bullet wound on his stomach. “M..Mark?” She whispered, eyes tearing up. He gasped a little before fumbling about with his other hand, eventually grasping her hand as tightly as he could. “It’s going to be okay.. I promise.. You’ll go home, alright? You’ll go home to see mama, and she’ll be there, waiting for you,” she said quietly, stroking the back of his hand and squinting through the tears in her eyes. The nurses around them seemed to fade off into the distance and leave them together, even though they were still there. “Come on kid, please stay with me. Please!” She cried, squeezing his hand. “Stasia… you’ll be okay… let go,” Mark rasped, slowly losing his once tight grip on her hand. “No, no. no! Please!” She sobbed. A nurse behind her gently rubbed her back. “He’s gone. I’m sorry,” the nurse said quietly. The stretcher was carried away, and Anastasia was lost.


	3. Don't You Cry No More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of PTSD, please do not read if this may make you uncomfortable <3

Things weren’t the same. Everything had gotten different after Mark passed. It had been three months. The clouds seemed to be more grey than before. The grass seemed to have died. Anastasia’s eyes had dark circles underneath where she hadn’t slept for days. Nothing would feel normal again.

“Hey..” a soft voice echoed from the end of her bed, pulling her out of the swirling thoughts. Anastasia looked up and saw the gentle face of her friend, Lillith. Her presence was calming and reassured Anastasia that things would get better. The older girl perched herself on the edge of the bed where Anastasia was laying. “I bought you some water, also, a letter came for you,” she started, handing the water and the letter over to the redhead. An appreciative nod was earned. “How are you feeling?”

“Shitty.”

Carefully placing the empty cup on the table, Anastasia sighed and looked at the letter. It was from the nursing board. Hands trembling, the envelope was torn and the letter slid out into Anastasia’s grasp.

_Dear Miss Constantin,_

_We have recently been notified of your twin brother’s passing, and we would like to offer our sincerest condolences. We have also been alerted of your declining mental health status. After much consideration, we have made the decision to discharge you from the Armed Forces. Following this, we have made it possible for you to take therapy appointments to help you with this. We have scheduled a test for PTSD, depression and anxiety for you. We will follow up with more details soon. After a while of your therapy, we will review your status and you may decide to rejoin your unit if you are deemed stable enough._

_Kind regards,_

_The Nursing Unit of the Romanian Armed Forces._

Anastasia shook her head and placed the letter beside her. “They’ve discharged me,” she murmured, staring at the ground in disbelief. Lillith gasped. “Oh, Stasy… I’m sorry…” replied Lillith, pulling Anastasia closer to her. Anastasia could feel tears running down her cheeks. “I’ve worked so hard for this. Being a nurse is all I’ve wanted and now it’s been taken away from me,” she breathed, not able to wrap her head around this news. “Will you write to me while you’re away?” Lillith asked, hope lining her tone. Anastasia smiled through the tears and nodded. “Of course I will, you idiot,” she chuckled, her voice still shaky.

Promptly, the Lieutenant arrived and stood in front of the two younger nurses. “I heard what the board said. Your services have been great, Nurse Constantin. Thank you. You best start gathering your things, you’ll be picked up soon,” the Lieutenant smiled, shaking Anastasia’s hand. “Thank you, Lieutenant,” Anastasia replied, bowing her head and smiling. Lillith went in for one last hug and Anastasia gladly returned it. “I’ll see you soon,” Lillith smiled. “Not if I see you first.” After gathering up her belongings, Anastasia made her way to where the ambulance was waiting. Her whole unit was surrounding her, smiling down. “Thank you for everything Stasia. I hope you get better soon,” one of her colleagues said, smiling kindly. “Thank you all. You’ve made me feel so welcome, and I hope to see you all again as soon as I can,” Anastasia finished, before walking out to the ambulance. As she got inside, she waved to her former colleagues and shut the door behind her. The ambulance’s engine started, and they began to drive, the medical tent getting smaller and smaller as she left behind the setting of some of her darkest times.


	4. Today We Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of death and PTSD, if this makes you uncomfortable then please do not read <3

The therapist’s office. Not exactly the most comfortable of places. Anastasia sat on the red couch opposite the desk, picking at the pale pink nail varnish painted onto her nails. “Anastasia… this is only going to work if you talk to me,” the therapist sitting at the desk explained calmly, trying to get at least something out of her. “I don’t have anything to say,” Anastasia replied bluntly, staring holes into the carpeted floor. Shaking his head, the therapist scribbled something down onto the notepad in front of him. “Alright then. Let’s talk about Mark,” he suggested, glancing up at Anastasia to see her reaction. She winced at the mention of his name. Yes, it had been three and a half months, but the wound still felt fresh to her. “I can’t stop thinking about that… moment. The second I saw him there, I knew he wouldn’t make it. It’s in my dreams and I can’t help but feel so- so guilty! It’s my fault he didn’t make it. I didn’t try to help him, I just sat there. What’s wrong with me?!” Anastasia choked out, the memories flooding back. “It’s simple Anastasia. You aren’t well.”  
After another half an hour, Anastasia had managed to calm herself down. “How do I get better? Hm? I can’t live like this. I can’t live a life of guilt. I can’t sleep at night anymore. I need help,” She stated sharply, clearly demanding an answer. The therapist facing her stuttered a little before giving her a real answer. “I-I’m going to do what I can for you.”

The sun was setting as Anastasia walked home. Her headphones were in as she wandered her childhood town, swaying her hips as she went. “Good to see nothing has changed,” she thought to herself as she looked around. There were still drug deals going on, prostitutes were still roaming the streets. Eventually, she approached her house and unlocked the door. “Mama? I’m home!” Anastasia called out, slipping off her shoes and placing her keys in the bowl by the door. Her mother stepped out of the kitchen and stood in front of Anastasia. “Well? How did it go?” She questioned, folding her arms. “Yeah, it went fine. I’m going back again soon.”

Flopping down on the bed, Anastasia groaned and stared at the ceiling. She wriggled under the sheets and closed her eyes, ready to try and get some sleep. As soon as she slipped off, Mark’s echoing words came back to her.

“Stasia… you’ll be okay… let go.”

Those moments looped over and over in her mind, like a broken record. It didn’t stop. All she could see was her brother. She could hear crying and gunfire distantly, although it sounded like it was right next to her. The feeling of being trapped washed over her and pressed down on her chest. Her breathing was laboured and she woke up, sweating and gasping for air. Her throat forced up coughs and she pushed her fringe back to wipe away the sweat. Things needed to change.


	5. Are You Bored Yet?

“You’re moving? Where to? Down the road?” Anastasia’s mother fumed. “No, mama. Not down the road. I’m going to America,” she replied, placing her hands on her hips. “You’re barely an adult, you can’t cook, you don’t know how to clean, you’ll never find a husband,” the older woman scoffed, glaring at Anastasia. “Maybe I don’t want a husband? Did you ever stop and think about that?” Anastasia fired back, pushing past her mother and storming up the stairs.

Doors were slammed and Anastasia sat on her bed, scowling at the floor. “I’m 20 years old and I can’t have a tiny bit of independence,” she muttered, picking her suitcase up and placing it next to her. Sighing, she stood up and started taking clothes from the wardrobe to the suitcase. What if her mother was right though? She couldn’t cook. She doesn’t know how to take care of herself. She’d be on her own. Maybe that’s what’s best for her. Proving that she can survive by herself.

Anastasia woke up early the next morning, to finish packing her things. Her brother would be there to take her to the airport soon, and she needed to leave on good terms with her mother. A few more bits and pieces were thrown into the suitcase before finally being zipped up and dragged down the stairs. “Good morning,” her mother stated bitterly, not even looking up at Anastasia. “Mama… I know I should’ve told you sooner. I will come and visit you, I promise. I’m doing what’s best for me,” she said, taking a seat at the table. “Yeah, you should’ve. I don’t know, it’s just… I lost your brother, I don’t want to lose you too,” she huffed, turning round to face Anastasia. “You aren’t going to lose me. We’ll still talk on the phone, I’ll visit, you can visit me too. I’ll call you when I get to my new house, I’ll make sure you know I’m okay. Now come here!” She smiled, standing from her seat and holding her arms out for her mother to give her a hug. Her mother gladly accepted this offer and made her way into her daughter’s arms. 

A car horn sounded from outside the house, alerting Anastasia that it was time to leave. Her mother smiled slightly at her before hugging her one more time. “Go get ‘em soldier,” she said, smiling. Anastasia nodded and grinned before taking her suitcase and stepping out of the front door. “Hey Michael, thanks for taking me,” she smiled, pulling the seatbelt across her. “It’s no problem! I’m proud of you, yknow, you’ve done good things kid. Just enjoy yourself out there, take it easy,” he said, looking to the road ahead of him. “I will. I’m gonna make the most of it.”

After a little while of driving and discussing anything that came to mind, the car pulled into the airport. Anastasia stepped out of the car and brushed herself down, pulling her suitcase out behind her. “Come on then, let’s get you going,” Michael said, holding his hand out as if asking for her to give him the suitcase. The airport was a busy place, there were always people coming in and out. Families would come back from their holidays, celebrities would come back from their meetings. If Michael wasn’t there, Anastasia would’ve gotten lost. They both wandered the large building before finding the gate Anastasia had to go to. “Well, here we are. Good luck kid. I’ll see you soon.”  
Out of all the seats on the plane, Anastasia was stuck next to a talkative old man and a baby who didn’t stop crying. What annoyed her even more is that she knew why the baby was crying. They were hungry. But she had to keep her mouth closed, in fear of the mother being a raging Karen. The whole journey was just empty conversation and crying. Not the best combination.

When the plane had landed, Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief. She got off as fast as she could. Ah, America. “Smells like freedom” She thought, now walking round the different airport, looking for the exit. It was eventually found, and she waited around for a cab to take her to her new home. As soon as she saw one come into sight, she raised her arm to try and grab the attention of the driver. He pulled over and she slid into the car. “Where to, sweetheart?” the driver asked, looking back at her. She pulled the paper out of her pocket and read it aloud. “Uhm, Hope County, please.”


	6. We Don't Listen

The cab driver looked at her, raising his eyebrow. “Are you sure?” he asked, sounding relatively concerned. Anastasia’s face fell. “Yes… I’m sure. Why?” she demanded. He shook his head and turned around. “No reason.”  
“Well, at least the scenery is pretty here,” Anastasia thought to herself, staring out of the window. “And you’re 100% sure this is where you want to go?” the driver asked once again. “I’m sure, why do you keep asking me?” She scowled, clutching her handbag. “You’ll probably find out soon enough anyway.. My advice is to just be extra careful,” he warned, shortly before pulling over. 

“Alrighty then… we’re here. Good luck,” the driver stated, holding his hand out for Anastasia to place the fee in. She smiled gratefully and gave him the money before taking her bags out of the car and starting the walk to her new house. It was quiet around, with only a couple of cars passing by every so often. The cars looked identical, playing the same eerily religious songs every time they came past. Weirdly, they were wearing the same uniforms too. “Strange,” Anastasia thought, choosing to ignore it anyway. Eventually, she came across some people who weren’t wearing the strange uniforms or listening to the religious music. 

“Excuse me? Can you help? I’m a little bit lost, I’ve just moved here,” Anastasia called, rushing over to the people. “You’ve just moved here? Stupid move in my opinion, what with all the cult business going on,” the woman stated. Anastasia took a double take. Cult? She didn’t know about a cult. “I’m sorry… I must’ve misheard you. Did you say cult?” She chuckled nervously. “No, you heard me right. If you’re into that kind of thing, I think there’s some sort of sermon later on. But you look like a relatively sane lady, so I trust you wouldn’t check it out,” the woman explained, folding her arms. “Alright then… thank you,” Anastasia hummed before continuing to make her way along the road. 

After a little while, a grey house stood in front of Anastasia. “Well, this is it I suppose,” she huffed, dragging her bags inside and closing the door behind her. She propped her bags up against the wall and gently sat on the wooden flooring. Her gaze wandered about the room, eventually finding her phone. Anastasia picked up her phone and began to dial her mother, who was probably sitting by the phone waiting for the call. “Hello?” Her mother spoke down the line. “Hey mama, I’m here,” Anastasia smiled. “Are you safe? How was the journey? What is the place like? Met any nice boys yet?”   
“Mama! Slow down! I’m safe and the journey was fine. The place is pretty, the people seem nice enough. I haven’t met any nice boys yet though.”  
“Well that’s your next job! Seriously though, I’m glad you’re safe, keep me updated on things as well.”  
“I will, I will. I have a few things to sort out this evening, so maybe I’ll call you after that, okay? Te iubesc mama!”  
“Şi eu te iubesc Anastasia. Goodbye!”

The end-call tone sounded and Anastasia put her phone down. She took out some nicer clothes from her suitcase and changed out of her sweats so she could make her way to the church later on. She didn’t think she wanted to be involved with the cult, it was just to see what was going on. Right?

The evening was drawing in and Anastasia approached the church. Two men in the uniforms she had seen earlier were welcoming other people inside. “Alright. Let’s get this over with,” Anastasia thought, walking over to the entrance. The two men looked her up and down and one nodded, ushering her inside. She looked around before taking a seat right at the back. Four people stood at the front of the room, three men and one woman. She noticed the man furthest to the left looking at her and smiling, but she was more attentive to the man on the right. He wore an army jacket and stood with his arms folded. The woman noticed her glances at him and smiled kindly at her. Anastasia’s cheeks flushed red and she looked down. 

After the sermon, everybody in the church made their way outside. Indistinct chatter was scattered around and Anastasia listened intently. She checked her phone and as she was scrolling, she saw somebody approach her. Putting her phone away, she looked up and realised it was the guy from before. “Well hello there,” he said, smirking at her. “Uhm, hi?” She said, awkwardly playing with her hands. “My name is John Seed. And you are?” he introduced himself, still smirking. “Anastasia Constantin… pleased to meet you. I’m sorry, but I have to go, maybe I’ll see you around?” she said, smiling at him before walking away to speak to someone else. “That was uncomfortably awkward,” she pondered. 

As she was hanging around, the man in the army jacket was brought up to her by the woman. “Hi! I’m Faith and this is my brother Jacob. What’s your name?” Faith said, smiling brightly at her. “I’m Anastasia, it’s a pleasure to meet you both!” Anastasia said with enthusiasm. Jacob grunted in response. “Well, I will leave you two to talk!” Faith said, skipping off to somewhere else. After a little while of uncomfortable small talk, a moderately interesting conversation was started. However, Anastasia noticed John repeatedly looking over at them with an expression of what looked like jealousy. “Hey, do you know why John keeps looking over at us? He looks a bit jealous,” Anastasia said quietly, so he wouldn’t hear her mention it. “Ah, don’t mind him, he probably just thinks you’re attractive,” Jacob said, followed by a quiet chuckle. She was taken aback by this but laughed anyway. “Well, I should be leaving, I’ll see you another time I guess,” she said, smiling a little bit. He nodded and walked away. Anastasia made her way home, but as she started to leave she could see John start arguing with Jacob. “Maybe he is jealous.”


End file.
